Eleven Fillies Headed for Rocky Top Oaks
Race : The Rocky Top Oaks – Grade II – $250,000
ID: 4134.7414
Track : Tennessee
Restrictions : Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance : Two miles on the Dirt
It will be the day for the marathoner this weekend as far as the state’s graded racing goes this upcoming Saturday. The fourteenth race on the Saturday card this weekend is the Grade II Rocky Top Oaks, a grueling two mile long race over the dirt for fillies and mares. This race is immediately following its colt counterpart, The Rocky Top Derby (G2). It is the inaugural year for The Rocky Top Oaks (G2), so whichever filly or mare is able to cross the wire first in the race will be going down in the history books as the first winner of the race. The area will be facing some showers early this week, however those are going to clear out within a day or so and leave the track fast for the race this weekend. The conditions are still going to be partly cloudy on race day, though this should leave the temperatures refreshingly cool for Saturday’s race. There are a total of eleven fillies and mares lined up for the inaugural running of The Rocky Top Oaks (G2), lets take a look at the competition.
1. Light Of Lights (IRE) – (Theatrical (IRE) x Diesis (GB) x Darshaan (ENG)) – lissa7967 of Lissa’s Stables – D. Crisp – 11
In the blue and red silks breaking from the rail, this six-year-old mare is out of the stakes placed broodmare Workingwithmuppets (GB). The Irish-bred brown mare has modest career earnings of $293,387 for her career encompassing forty-four lifetime starts. The mare will be making a return to graded stakes racing, The Rocky Top Oaks (G2) this weekend being the mares first graded start since 2007 when she went to the gate for the last time in a graded race during the Breeders Bowl Undercard Filly Long Route (G3), in which the brown mare, then a four-year-old finished thirteenth in the race. After this start the mare made a name for herself in the allowance ranks, finishing on the board in nearly all of her starts. Recently, the mare has been sent back to listed stakes races, to try to work her way back up the ranks. The most recent start for the mare was in The Canadian Dividend Special, a listed stakes race over ten and a half furlongs last month in Florida. The mare broke mid-pack in the race, but didn’t manage to do much in the race, losing ground in the stretch, she finished seventh with a speed figure of ninety-nine. However, prior to this start, the mare did hit the board with a third place finish in the listed Royal Gulch Stakes at twelve furlongs. The mare will likely be settled back off a few pacesetting horses out of the gate, likely held back in a fourth or fifth place position.
2. Coyote Smuggler – (A.P. Indy x Unbridled’s Song x El Prado (IRE)) – bluegrass3 of Hoosier Empire – M. Isdell – 3/1
Making the third graded stakes start of her racing career this weekend, the striking light gray four-year-old filly is likely to make a big splash this weekend, with her only two graded stakes starts so far in her career both ending in on-the-board finishes for the connections of the Kentucky-bred filly. The most recent start for the filly was in the Victory Marathon (G3), where she was held very far off the pace, almost the last filly running in the field for the majority of the race. She took off like a bullet when asked in the late stretch, but still came up a length and a half short at the wire, but still managed to finish second with a speed figure of ninety-nine for the fourteen furlong marathon dirt race. Her only other graded stakes start was a three and three-fourth length victory in the shorter twelve furlong Pawned Handicap (G1), where she also set a higher speed figure of one hundred twelve, after behind held further up closer to the pace in a mid-pack position. The filly will most likely run mid-pack or very far off the pace at the very back of the field, but on occasion she has run slightly off the pace with a few horses before her setting the main pace. Where she’ll be this weekend will depend a great deal on the pace this Saturday.
3. Banal Wells – (Alnaab x Sadler’s Wells x Irish River (FR)) – sirbarton of Kiddman Stables – D. Paz – 14/1
The first entry into The Rocky Tops Oaks (G2) this weekend, the six-year-old veteran race mare is out of the broodmare Amazon River. The brown mare is coming off a very convincing eight and three-fourth length victory in a thirteen furlong allowance race in Montana last month. The mare ran an effortless speed figure of eighty-seven for her efforts in the race. She will be going back to graded stakes racing this week after the brief step down in class. Her most recent graded stakes start was in her previous start to the thirteen furlong allowance race. This start came over an extra furlong in the Victory Marathon (G3). After being placed somewhat towards the rear of the field out of the gate, the mare put in a bullet drive down the stretch and managed to close the gap to a margin of three and a quarter lengths between her and the eventual winner, the brown mare ultimately finishing third at the wire. The mare is quite a versatile runner out on the track and will likely either be settled back off the pace of a few front runners, or held much further back at the rear of the field, depending upon the pace on Saturday.
4. Pointmambo – (Point Given x Kingmambo x Seattle Slew) – shawke of Jrogue Stables – D. Mathieson – 9/1
Needing to bounce back this weekend after three poor starts at graded level races, the four-year-old filly is out of the stakes placed broodmare Mambo Slew The Second. Three months ago the filly put together a miraculous finish in The Saint Paul (G3), at this very distance of two miles, when she sprinted home in the grueling marathon race to win by an impressive six and a quarter lengths with a speed figure of ninety-eight. However, the chestnut filly has not been able to duplicate the feat since then in her three starts she’s made after that race. Her most recent race came in the Victory Marathon (G1) at fourteen furlongs. After breaking mid-pack in the race, she continued to loose ground and position throughout, ultimately finishing a disappointing ninth, sixteen lengths off the pace with a speed figure of ninety. This Saturday the filly will likely take on a mid-pack running style and hopefully resume her closing kick that she exhibited in The Saint Paul (G3).
5. Pet Gator – (Gators N Bears x Unfuwain x Ela-Mana-Mou (IRE)) – win7933 of Win7933 Stables – D. Thomkal – 9/1
Making the first graded stakes start of her racing career, this five-year-old mare is out of the Grade 1 winning broodmare Petruszka. The Maryland-bred mare has been lightly raced for her five years, with a total of thirty-nine career starts. The mare made her last race in what was so far her first and only stakes start. This start came in the Iron Golem Memorial, a sixteen furlong listed stakes race over the dirt. The mare took off right on the lead in the long race, though faded as she reached the stretch, and ended up crossing the wire in third, two and a half lengths off the pace. She recorded a career best speed figure of one hundred two for this race. Before this single stakes start, the mare has been running consistently at allowance level races, where she stepped up in class from starter allowances earlier in her career. This ex-claimer is looking to hit the big time with this race, but with her running style she’ll probably have to take it wire to wire. The mare likes to run on the front and usually isn’t held off the pace in too many of her races, although she has run in this position a few times.
6. Goldman Sachs – (Ghostzapper x Seattle Slew x Alydar) – bar131 of Bar131 Stables – R. Bokie – 7/2
One of the most accomplished mares in the race this weekend, the Kentucky-bred chestnut mare is the earner of $2,091,462 in career earnings. The mare will have to rebound to do well in The Rocky Top Oaks (G2) this weekend through. The most recent start for the chestnut mare was in the twelve furlong Pawned Handicap (G1). The filly broke out of the gate in this race towards the middle of the pack but started to fade as the field reached the stretch of the Arkansas-based race, ultimately finishing seventh in the race with a margin of fourteen and three-fourth lengths between herself and the eventual winner of the race. Prior to this race, the mare won two consecutive races including the Big Dessert Stakes (G2) and The Little Rock Stayer (G1). The mare will likely break out of the gate in this weekends race and go either towards the middle of the pack, or possibly be held off the pace of the majority of the field, towards the back of the pack, depending upon the pace this weekend. Both running styles have been successful for the mare in the past.
7. Full Measure – (Polish Precedent x Vaguely Noble x Troy (GB)) – mogulaxius of Planoaxia Stables – Ro. – Lott
Returning to graded stakes racing after a two-race step down in class to allowance level races, this six-year-old brown mare has accumulated over a million dollars in lifetime earnings throughout her racing career. Despite these impressive career earnings and lifetime wins of fourteen total races, the mare had a bad start in her most recent race. This came upon a dirt track in Minnesota during a sixteen furlong allowance race. The mare broke mid pack, but lost ground throughout the entirety of the race, and ultimately came home to finish just out of the money in sixth, though she was twenty-seven and a quarter lengths off the pace of the winner in the process. She set a speed figure of eighty-two. However, this was immediately following a four and a half length allowance victory with a more impressive speed figure of ninety-six attributed to the mare. The most recent graded stakes start for the brown mare was The Saint Paul (G3), also at sixteen furlongs, where the mare finished again out of the money in sixth place, this time twelve and a half lengths off the pace, though still with a more impressive speed figure of ninety-one. The connections of the mare, despite her poor finish in her most recent race, are taking one last bow to graded stakes competition with their mare this weekend, who will have a few more starts at allowance level, before they send her off to the breeding shed. The mare will probably be off out of the gate running mid-pack, before making a late run down the final furlongs of the stretch to try to catch the front runners.
8. Incredible Squall – (War Chant x Summer Squall x El Justo) – One filly that will have to rebound to make a hit this weekend, is this half a million dollar earner hailing from Kentucky. The four-year-old daughter of War Chant made her last start last month in British Columbia during the Victory Marathon (G3) at fourteen furlongs. The brown filly was out on the track towards the rear of the field at the break and made up some ground when the field came into the stretch of the route race. However, she would finish out of money by crossing the wire in sixth with a speed figure of ninety-three for the race. The filly has won one stakes race during her career, The Scottsdale Stayer (G1) at a longer distance of sixteen furlongs. In addition, this race was run over a good dirt course. The brown filly was much more closer to the front-running pace in this race, and went on to win by one and a quarter lengths with a comparable speed figure to her sixth place finish in her following start. If the filly has a good start in the race this weekend, she will probably be just off the pace of a couple of front runners, hoping to overtake them once they begin to tire throughout the long distance. 9. Sophie’s Aura – (Ghostzapper x Smart Strike x Nashwan) – bredtasell of Tulloch Stables – J. Kottler – 5/1 This mare has had an up and down career lately. The chestnut five-year-old is out of the graded race winning broodmare Sophie. She’s made twenty-two lifetime starts and is lightly raced for her five years at the track. She is coming off a second place finish in the Sage In Cedar Special, a nine furlong listed stakes race. The chestnut mare finished the race three and a half lengths off the pace with a speed figure of one hundred for the race. This race was a rebound race for her after finishing thirteen and a quarter lengths off the pace in her prior start, The Black Sparky Stakes, a nine and a half furlong listed stakes race. The most recent graded start for the mare was in the Poor Mona Lisa Handicap (G3) at nine furlongs. The mare finished ten lengths back in the twelfth spot in this race. The connections of the mare are hoping that she’s back on track now with her second place finish in the Sage In Cedar Special. She can be a versatile runner, but she will most likely be settled back towards the rear of the field this weekend, although most of her victorious or money-placing races have began with the mare placed more forward on the pace, hanging back behind a couple of pacesetters, so this may be a better course of action to take this weekend. 10. Touch – (Touch Gold x Seattle Slew x Secretariat) – backnine of Balata Golf Resort – S. Mitcho – 11/1 Another filly that will be stepping back up to the plate of graded stakes starts is this three-year-old filly out of the broodmare La Secret. The brown Kentucky-bred has been doing nicely in her recent races, finishing in the money in her last four starts. The most recent race for the filly was the Indy’s Giant (IRE) Stakes, a listed nine and a half furlong race overseas in Puerto Rico. The filly was held just off the pace of the main runner, and despite trying to run down the opposing filly, was beaten out by half a length, while setting a speed figure of one hundred, the second-best lifetime speed figure of the filly. Her most recent graded stakes start was in the start prior to the one previously mentioned, the Northern Oaks (G3), which was held last September. The filly finished second in this race as well, and recorded her lifetime best speed figure during this race. This filly is quite versatile in her running styles, and could possibly be anywhere in Saturday’s race, though running mid-pack to on the pace has seemed to work best for the filly in her past races. 11. Hurtin Gordon – (Giacomo x Unbridled’s Song x Rhythm) – ibanez of Bigrick Stables – L. Congieabner – 11/1 Last in the field for this weekends race, the striking roan filly will take to gate eleven on the far outside. The three-year-old is out of the stakes-winning broodmare Jack’s Rythem, and has been doing fairly good in her most recent races, including finishing in the money in two recent graded stakes starts. Her most recent start was in the Northern Oaks (G3) last September. The filly broke towards the rear of the field and made up good ground in the stretch, but ended up running out of ground at the wire, finishing fourth. She was off the pace by two and a quarter lengths in this race, while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred three, she should benefit from some added ground this weekend. She has had quite a long break though between then and her start this weekend. Time will tell how she adapts to the time off from the track. With three consecutive victories not too far off in her past, she’s sure to be a possible threat this weekend if she can get everything together on the graded stage. She will likely be more out towards the lead this weekend, though if need be the filly has proven that she can be rated back and still run a decent race. Flrancho’s Picks
Win: Coyote Smuggler
Place: Goldman Sachs
Show: Touch